


Growing Pains

by maydei



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bittersweet, Cancer, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-08
Updated: 2013-04-08
Packaged: 2017-12-07 21:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/753036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maydei/pseuds/maydei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They should have warned him about friendships that started in the Oncology ward. Script-format.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Growing Pains

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to know what I'll be doing when I graduate... this is pretty close. Remember that time I managed to turn in and present Samifer fanfiction in front of an entire class? I do. 
> 
> Written as a short play for the stage. Warning for character death, but a bittersweet ending.

**Growing Pains**

by Maydei

 

_Characters_

Sam, _male, early 20s, a hospital patient._

Luke, _male, mid 20s, also a patient. Sam’s friend._

Nurse, _a female physician’s assistant, middle-aged._

 

> _Setting_
> 
> _There are two chairs; the type used at hospitals where patients sit to get their blood drawn. They are off to one side of the stage. On the other side, there is a standard hospital cot and one of those uncomfortable chairs meant to discourage visitors from staying too long._
> 
>  
> 
> _Sam’s head is shaved and he sits in one of the chairs, the chair beside him noticeably empty. An IV bag hangs from a stand, steadily dripping fluid from a bag marked with_ _**toxic chemical** _ _warnings. It is labeled CHEMOTHERAPY. HANDLE WITH CAUTION._
> 
>  
> 
> _Between Sam’s feet is a plain plastic wastebasket, empty and waiting if Sam needs it. Sam stares blankly down at it, but doesn’t seem to really see it. He is lost in thought. Ever so often, he shakes himself from his stupor and glances over at the empty chair beside him. When he realizes each time that the chair is empty, he grows a little more morose, and the cycle begins again._
> 
>  
> 
> _Nurse wanders onto the stage and rifles through some cabinets filled with medical supplies. She looks up at Sam, who doesn’t acknowledge her presence. She gives the back of his head a pitying look._

 

NURSE

Do you need anything, Sam?

 

SAM

No.

 

> _He looks up, then back at her._

 

SAM

Unless you can tell me the results?

 

NURSE

You know I can’t do that. That’s between you and the doctor.

 

SAM

That’s bullshit. I _know_ that you know; just put me out of my misery.

  

NURSE

I can’t, Sam.

 

SAM

Then what good are you to me?

 

 

> _Sam turns away, visibly upset. Nurse sighs, goes about her business and leaves._
> 
> _The lights go down over the chairs. When they raise again, there is a blue tint to the light, and the chair beside Sam is no longer empty. Luke and Sam sit side-by-side, both hooked up to chemotherapy IV’s, angled toward each other. Luke is hunched over the plastic bucket, ill. Sam rests a hand on his back._

 

SAM

It’s okay. Breathe through your mouth if you can; the smell won’t help. Puke’s fucking gross.

 

LUKE

_(weakly)_ That sounds like experience talking.

 

SAM

Yeah, well. It’s not my first time in the system.

 

> _Despite looking like shit, Luke cracks a small, ironic smile._

 

LUKE

Repeat offender, huh? You’re pretty young for that shit.

 

SAM

Aren’t you?

 

LUKE

Aren’t we all?

 

> _Sam smiles a little. He’s starting to like this guy._

 

SAM

What’s your name?

 

LUKE

Just—Luke. You?

 

SAM

_(teasingly)_ Just Sam.

 

LUKE

I’d say _pleasure to meet you_ , but I’d rather not be here. But, I mean, if I have to be here, then meeting you is probably better than nothing.

 

SAM

If we both pull through, I’ll drink to that. First round for the first round.

 

LUKE

I’ll hold you to it.

 

> _The lights fade. They come up again, and Sam is once more alone in his chair, as he was before. The light is clear this time, without color._
> 
> _Nurse enters._

 

NURSE

How’re you holding up?

 

SAM

I’ve been worse. Where’s the doc?

 

NURSE

He’s seeing to a newcomer; poor kid. Maybe you could—?

 

SAM

_(angrily)_ Don’t. I don’t _need—_ just, no.

 

NURSE

It might be good to make new friends, Sam.

 

SAM

Because that worked out so well last time?

 

> _A beat of tense silence._

 

SAM

I don’t want a _replacement_. Just tell the fucking doctor to stop stalling and face me; if the news is shit, I’ll deal with it. I deal with everything.

 

NURSE

_(under her breath)_ You don’t deal with _anything_.

 

>  
> 
> _She exits. Sam sighs, but doesn’t say anything. The miserable look on his face is enough._
> 
> _Lights down, then up again and tinted blue. Luke is propped up on the cot, hooked up to the heart monitor, which beeps quietly and steadily. Sam sits at the end of the bed, holding a hand of cards. They play absently as they talk, but Sam keeps giving Luke sad looks._

 

LUKE

Don’t.

 

SAM

What?

 

LUKE

You know what. Don’t look at me like that, Sam.

 

SAM

I’m not looking at you like anything.

 

LUKE

You’re pitying me; I don’t want your pity. Shit happens. We both knew going in that there was a chance it might not work.

 

SAM

I know that.

 

LUKE

Do you, Sam? Just because you’ve been pulling out of this shit time and time again since you were a toddler doesn’t mean that all of us will. We’re just human.

 

> _Disgusted, Luke drops his cards onto the bed and stares at them morosely. Sam puts his own face-down and focuses his full attention on his friend._

 

SAM

I—I know. You know I know that.

 

> _Luke’s anger leaves him in a sigh._

 

LUKE

Yeah. I’m just being a dick.

 

SAM

If I could take your place—

 

LUKE

Don’t say that; don’t you dare.

 

SAM

I shouldn’t even be alive anyway; the odds for me—

 

LUKE

Shut _up_ , Sam. I don’t want to hear that shit. Life is a gift, you hear me? You didn’t _ask_ for this; you’re not like me, who wasted my life with pipes and cancer sticks because I was too weak to deal with myself. You’re strong; you can still do this thing. It’s over for me.

 

SAM

Shut the fuck up! Don’t say that!

 

LUKE

Why not? ‘s fucking true.

 

SAM

Well, I don’t want to _hear_ it, Luke!

 

> _A beat. Sam and Luke stare at each other, both looking like they have something to say, but neither decides to actually say it. Sam shakes his head, frustrated, and looks away. Luke’s hand twitches toward Sam, but drops it before Sam notices._

 

LUKE

Promise me that you’ll keep fighting once I... you know, _once_.

 

SAM

Yeah, sure.

 

LUKE

Promise me, Sam. None of that ‘yeah, sure’ bullshit.

 

SAM

Yeah, sure.

 

LUKE

Sam.

 

> _He stares at Sam, and Sam realizes that Luke is completely serious. He can’t hold the stare anymore; he breaks their gaze. Luke watches Sam with a deeply upset expression that his friend doesn’t see._

 

SAM

I promise.

 

> _Lights down, then up again and clear. The bed is empty. Sam sits in the chair beside it, elbows rested on the mattress and his chin in his hands._
> 
> _Nurse pokes her head in from the other side of stage where there is another doorway._

 

NURSE

Sam?

 

SAM

Please leave me alone.

 

> _A beat._

 

NURSE

I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, Sam. Maybe another round—

 

SAM

No—don’t you _get_ it? It’s done. _I’m_ done. There’s not another round that’s gonna change anything that’s already happened. I’m _dying_. For _good_ this time.

 

> _Sam covers his face. When he looks up, his eyes are red and tearing up._

 

SAM

And the thing is—I don’t even care. I don’t. Because I fucking messed up.

 

NURSE

Sam, you shouldn’t talk like that. You know that Luke—

 

SAM

_No_ , okay—what Luke wants doesn’t _matter_ because he’s not _here_ , and—

 

> _Sam wipes at his face and sniffles._

 

SAM

Did everyone notice but me?! Why didn’t he _say_ something? It isn’t _fair—I never asked for this!_ That _asshole_ , that—that fucking _jerk_.

 

NURSE

Sam.

 

SAM

_What?!_ Can’t I be pissed? I’m twenty-two, I’m fucking dying _again_ , I just lost my—Luke. What else do I have left to give?

 

> _Nurse sits on the edge of the bed and puts her hand on his wrist, drawing Sam’s attention._

 

NURSE

Now, you listen to me, Sam. You have so much to offer— _so_ much, you hear me? You’re smart and caring and a good kid. Don’t you give up just because you lost someone, ‘cause you’re not the only one who has. Okay? Don’t you give up.

 

> _Nurse stands, brushes off her scrubs and leaves. Sam leans over the bed and rests his head down, his hands clenching in the sterile sheets._

 

SAM

I can’t do this anymore.

>  
> 
> _Lights down, then up and blue. Luke is alone in the bed and once again hooked up to the monitor, which speeds irregularly. He is muttering, but doesn’t seem to be fully cognizant._
> 
> _From the side doorway, Sam bursts in, closely followed by Nurse._

 

NURSE

Sam, you can’t be in here!

 

SAM

Fuck that, of _course_ I’m gonna be in here.

 

NURSE

Sam, it’s not allowed. You’re not family.

 

SAM

I might as well be; who else has he got?

 

NURSE

You’re compromised and emotional. You just got the news; you need to sit down, to calm down.

 

SAM

You expect me to be calm after telling me it’s metastasized to his brain and that he’s _hallucinating?_ Are you fucking kidding me?

 

NURSE

_(deflecting)_ Sam, you can’t be here.

 

SAM

Yeah? Fucking _try_ to make me leave. Try it.

 

> _Stubbornly, Sam sits in the chair beside the bed. Nurse huffs and exits._

 

 

SAM

Luke, come on. Come on, man, wake up.

 

LUKE

‘mwake.

 

SAM

Hey, hey! Can you hear me?

 

LUKE

You’re weird f’r ‘n angel.

 

SAM

What?

 

> _Luke blearily opens one eye and looks at Sam, but seems hazy. His speech is slightly slurred._

 

LUKE

‘spected angels to be bigger.

 

SAM

What are you talking about? Luke, come on, it’s me; it’s Sam.

 

LUKE

‘zis mean I gotta confess? ‘m I dyin’?

 

SAM

Luke.

 

LUKE

Well ‘f you’re takin’ me, ya gotta leave Sam, y’hear?

 

> _Sam stops talking and stares at Luke._

 

LUKE

Sam’s special. He ‘serves a break. Gotta leave Sam. Means t’ much f’r you to take ‘im. ‘Kay?

 

> _A beat. Sam realizes that Luke is waiting for an answer from someone who isn’t there._

 

SAM

_(softly)_ Yeah, okay.

 

> _Luke accepts the answer in his delirious state, murmuring nonsense before he focuses again, looking to Sam and reaching out in invitation. Sam gets up and sits on the edge of the bed. He tentatively lays his hand over Luke’s forehead to take his temperature; he is feverish and clammy. A little bit of hope crumbles away._

 

SAM

You’re gonna be okay, Luke. You have to be okay. I owe you a drink, right? That’s all you’ve been bitching about for weeks: _when are you gonna get me that drink, Sammy? Better be good_. So you... you can’t just check out when we have unfinished business, you hear?

 

> _Luke’s eyes droop with exhaustion and he leans toward Sam, entire body curled in his direction like plants follow the Sun. His fingers twitch; Sam lays his hand over Luke’s and squeezes it in comfort._

 

SAM

Luke, it’s gonna be okay.

 

LUKE

Love you, Sam.

 

> _Luke smiles slightly, content. His eyes close and his heart rate skyrockets, then starts to crash. Alarms go off and Nurse rushes in, but Sam is frozen in place._

 

NURSE

Sam, you have to go.... Sam... _Sam..._

 

> _Sam drops to his knees by the side of the bed, clutching desperately at Luke’s hand._

 

SAM

Luke, don’t you leave me—don’t you do this to me; Luke, I _need_ you, Luke, _please..._

 

> _In the background, there is the sound of a heartbeat slowing to a stop as the lights fade._
> 
>   _They come up again clear, with Sam once more sitting in his own lonely chair, looking over at the empty seat beside him. The trash bucket that was once at his feet is gone._
> 
>   _Nurse enters. For a while, she doesn’t say anything, just looks at Sam._

 

SAM

I want to stop all treatment.

 

> _A long pause._

 

NURSE

...are you sure?

 

SAM

Positive.

 

NURSE

But, Sam—

 

SAM

You can’t change my mind.

 

> _Nurse’s pager beeps. She leaves for a moment, leaving Sam in silence, before she enters, befuddled._

 

SAM

Well, that’s that. Want to get the paperwork?

 

NURSE

I don’t think that’ll be necessary.

 

SAM

You can’t carry on treatment without my consent.

 

NURSE

It seems as though we won’t have to.

 

> _Sam stares at her._

 

NURSE

That was the doctor; he said that the blood we took this morning is showing a decreased number of malignant cells.

 

> _Sam is silent._

 

NURSE

He compared it to the blood we took a few days ago; personally, even. Says he’s never seen anything like it— _never seen recovery so fast_ , he said—but that the chemo must have taken a little late and is finally kicking in now.

  

SAM

So... what, I’m in remission?

 

NURSE

Seems so.

 

SAM

Just like that?

 

NURSE

Just like that.

 

SAM

I don’t understand.

 

> _Nurse smiles at Sam, then procures an envelope from the pocket of her scrubs to hand to Sam._

 

SAM

What’s this?

 

NURSE

I just found it at my station. It’s for you.

 

> _Sam looks at the envelope: on the outside, in Luke’s handwriting, is his name._

 

SAM

But...

 

NURSE

Seems like someone is looking out for you, Sam. Seems disrespectful to ignore that, doesn’t it?

 

> _Sam opens the envelope, and Nurse leaves._
> 
>  
> 
> _The paper inside reads simply:_
> 
> _I can wait._

 

SAM

‘I can wait’? _(he pauses)_ You—you _fucking_ —I can’t believe this.

 

> _Sam stares at the note for a long time before he carefully replaces the note in its envelope and folds it perfectly, stowing it in his pocket with care. He leaves the room. Lights out._
> 
>   _Lights up, blue-tinged. Sam and Luke sit side-by-side in the chemo chairs._

 

SAM

So what’s your deal, anyway, _just Luke_?

 

LUKE

My parents were Bible freaks. _Luke_ tends to get less crazy looks than introducing myself as _Lucifer._

 

SAM

_(weirdly in awe)_ Your parents named you after Satan?

  

LUKE

A lot of people forget that Lucifer was an angel, once. Lucifer originally meant _light-bringer_ , you know.

 

> _Sam looks at Luke. Luke’s expression is guarded, expecting Sam to make fun of him or something. Sam surprises him by smiling._

 

SAM

Well, in that case, maybe it suits you.

 

LUKE

_(surprised but hopeful)_ Yeah?

 

 

> _Sam smiles and reaches over to nudge him. Luke looks relieved and lightly kicks at Sam’s feet. A huge weight seems to have lifted off his shoulders. When he looks at Sam, it’s like a man seeing a miracle for the first time._
> 
>  
> 
> _Lights out_.

 

**END.**


End file.
